Nightmares
by KatAang32
Summary: One-Shot Prequel to Together Again. Aang faced Ozai on his own, saving the world, saving everyone he loved. They kept saying that he was a hero, that he was so brave. He had a brave face and acted all the hero they thought he was. But at night as he slept he tried to get away from the psycho Firebender. The Battle came back at night and Katara knew it. R&R Please!


I have absolutely positively nothing to do with ATLA, or Nickelodeon.

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**Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfiction Challenges**

**Monthly Competition: December - Sharing a Bed**

**Awarded Tie 3rd place**

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This is a One-Shot Prequel to Together Again.

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**Please Review**

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Nightmares.

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Team Avatar was still going to be in Ba Sing Se for a few more weeks... They were taking a much need vacation after saving the world. The Earth King had already announced The Harmony Restoration Movement. Team Avatar decided they would start the day after the fall equinox.

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Aang's room was just next door to her own, she could hear him through the wall. This was the third night in a row that she was awoken by his cries of terror. Each night she heard him yelling about Ozai, about the world being on fire.

_Just this morning she had taken a walk in the Palace gardens with him. She had asked him about his nightmares, his eyes looked sad and frightened, but he acted like he didn't know what she was talking about. "I'm fine Katara, I'm sleeping fine." He had told her, putting on a brave face and smiling widely, his adorable smile that she loved so much. "I'm strong, I'm the Avatar." He took her hand in his, interlacing his fingers with her own as they walked through the garden, looking at all the flowers._

_"Okay, Sweetie…" she said to him, knowing he was lying to her, but she didn't want to make him relive those nightmares during the daytime, too._

Tonight was worse than the previous two nights; she could actually hear him crying in his sleep, his 'Avatar' mask had come off as soon as he was asleep. Right now he was just Aang, just the adorable sweet little Aang, the very same that only 10 months ago; was sitting, hugging his knees to himself on the floor of the Fire Navy ship in the South Pole. The same little boy that was so devastated when he found his beloved Monk Gyatso's skeleton at The Southern Air Temple.

She paced about her room, pressing her ear to the wall every time she heard him cry out. Her vision was starting to getting blurry so she rubbed her eyes and found that she was crying for him, her heart ached so bad for him. Her happy little monk was truly frightened. She had enough, "I don't care what Sokka thinks! He can go to The Fog of Lost Souls for all I care, Aang needs me right now!" She said in determination as she threw on her robe and quietly tip-toed to Aang's bedroom door, when she knocked there was no answer. Nervousness started to dissolve her determination, she turned to go back to her room, and she heard him start to yell again: "Please help me, he's going to burn me alive! Help me!"

She turned back to his door, she turned the knob and pushed open his bedroom door. She peaked in; his blanket was all askew and he was thrashing around as he cried for help. Her boyfriend, Aang, 'The Avatar' was terrified.

She went to him and sat down on the bed; she reached out to shake him, and then decided against it, she thought it would just scare him worse than he already was. "Aang, Aang wake up, you are having a nightmare!"

He sat up with a jolt, covered in sweat and gasping for air. It took him a couple minutes to realize Katara was sitting on his bed next to him. "Katara, what are you doing in my bedroom?"

"You were having another nightmare, I could hear you crying and yelling." She told him.

"Oh." He hung his head in shame. "I'm sorry I lied to you earlier, they have been pretty bad."

"I know Sweetie, I hear you at night. I'm here now. Do you want me to stay in here, with you, for the rest of the night, or do you want me to leave?" She looked at him with sad eyes, this poor boy needed comfort. He needed HER, she was the only one that could calm and comfort him when he was at his worst. The only person in the world that he shared a bond greater than life itself with; they shared a deep connection that Destiny gave them.

"Sokka would be so mad if he found you in here." He didn't really need to say this they both already knew Sokka was very protective of her.

"I don't care what Sokka thinks, I just want to comfort you, to make the nightmares go away. You need me right now, Sweetie." She told him.

"But..." He started.

"Look, I'm fully clothed, I have a robe on, AND I'll even go get my own blanket. I'm staying in here with you for the rest of tonight, and that's final!" She said to him firmly.

"But..." He started but was cut off by a stern look from his girlfriend, from his true love.

"Besides Sokka never wakes up before we do, anyways." She threw in, as she stood back up and disappeared out his bedroom door. Aang knew better than to try to argue with her when she had her mind set on something.

A few minutes later she returned to his room, she had her blanket and a pillow with her. "Scoot over." She said. He did as he was told and scooted over as far as he could without falling out of the bed. She put her pillow on the opposite side of the bed from him. She lay down, pulling her own blanket around herself. "I'm here, I'm right here. You stopped Ozai, It's over, and you saved the world. I'm here with you and I always will be, I promise."

He lay back down on the far side of the bed and pulled his own blanket around himself. "Thank you." The scared boy said as his eyelids felt so heavy that it was hard to fight to keep them open. Before he knew it he was back to sleep.

Just after he had fallen asleep, she said "I love you." Then Katara closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep as well.

He slept peacefully through the rest of the night.

Closing note, they both were awake long before Sokka even started to stir.


End file.
